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cyber offense

Then-Millenium challenge corporation CEO Sean Cairncross speaks during a ceremony on Aug. 5, 2019 at the presidential palace in Abidjan. (Photo by ISSOUF SANOGO / AFP) (Photo credit should read ISSOUF SANOGO/AFP via Getty Images)

Sean Cairncross lays out what’s coming next for Trump’s cyber strategy

The national cyber director is pitching an approach that blends cyber operations with diplomacy, law enforcement and pressure on CEOs to shore up their organizations.
The silhouette of a man is seen with the city of Caracas in the background on January 9, 2026. Experts say that while President Donald Trump says that cyber weapons were used to plunge Caracas into darkness, multiple military elements were used in the operation. (Photo by Federico PARRA / AFP via Getty Images)

The Caracas operation suggests cyber was part of the plan – just not the whole operation

A “precision cyber strike” makes for a clean narrative. The available evidence in the wake of the operation suggests something harder to label – and harder to…
Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., speaks to reporters before attending an afternoon Republican caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol on Sep. 29, 2023. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Hill warning: Don’t put cyber offense before defense

A House hearing weighed the pros and cons from the Trump administration and some lawmakers to step up cyber offensive operations.
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President Donald Trump, left, and China’s President Xi Jinping arrive for talks at the Gimhae Air Base, located next to the Gimhae International Airport in Busan on October 30, 2025. Trump and Xi have both been publicly impassive about cyber operations in the past few months.(Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP) (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

While White House demands deterrence, Trump shrugs

Trump’s dismissive remarks on cyber threats contrast sharply with his administration’s official calls for action.
Bulazel mentioned the energy sector in particular, given the potential for hackers to turn off the power in the United States. It’s a sector that relies in large measure on supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems to monitor and control industrial processes. (Image Credit: AndreyPopov via Getty Images)

Critical infrastructure security tech needs to be as good as our smartphones, top NSC cyber official says

Alexei Bulazel said that even as the Trump administration is aiming to ratchet up cyber offense, there’s still a vital role for defense.
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